Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Codon Devices partners for algae-made ethanol

By Mass High Tech Staff

Codon Devices Inc., a biotechnology company focusing on development of synthetic biology, has found another partner outside the life sciences circle.

The Cambridge startup has announced a multi-year partnership with Naples, Fla., biofuel tech firm Algenol Biofuels to develop biofuels from algae. The development would rely on Codon’s “BioLogic” protein engineering platform.

Codon has leveraged its BioLogic technology in deals with Cambridge biotech firm Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. and agricultural biotech company Agrivida Inc. of Medford. In both cases, the Codon technology enables the construction of novel proteins used to manufacture products for Merrimack and Agrivida.

Codon has raised $44 million in venture capital from such VC firms as Cambridge-based Flagship Ventures; Highland Capital Partners, which has a Boston office; as well as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Khosla Ventures and Alloy Ventures, all three of which are based in California.

Algenol produces environmentally clean ethanol from blue green algae in a solar-powered process.